ASRock B760M PG Riptide Review: A Good Budget Balance

Micro ATX budget-class board offers an inexpensive way into 13th-gen Intel processors.

ASRock B760M PG Riptide
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

ASRock’s $146.99 PG Riptide, is a value-focused board with a black-on-black theme (and RGBs). It comes with most of what you’d reasonably want from an entry-level Micro ATX board, plus a BCLK generator to overclock locked chips.

Pros

  • +

    Black-on black theme with RGBs

  • +

    BCLK generator to overclock B760 platform

Cons

  • -

    Intel default performance out of the box

  • -

    8 Total USB Ports (7 Type-A)

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The ASRock B760M PG Riptide is a Micro ATX motherboard that supports the latest Intel 12th and 13th Gen Intel processors. Priced at just over $145, it offers a simple black-on-black appearance, with a blue strip on the VRM and a few RGB LEDs hidden under the right side of the board. You get two M.2 sockets and four SATA ports for storage, Realtek 2.5 GbE networking (Wi-Fi not included), memory support listed up to DDR5-7200+(OC), and a budget Realtek audio codec. Ultimately, it’s a full-featured option in the budget Micro ATX space.

The PG Riptide stacks up well against the competition on the hardware front. At this price and with this budget chipset, there’s not much that can go on these boards except for the basics, as the platform limits the potential for high-speed interfaces. 

To keep the price point low, ASRock uses 12-phase VRMs for Vcore, and instead of using more modern (and costly) SPS MOSFETs, we see an old-school configuration using Hi and Low side ICs instead of combined as we’re used to on more expensive models. This isn’t ideal for high-end processors, but it did allow our Intel Core i9-13900K to run the Intel’s defaults, boosting up to 255W for a short time, then limiting itself to 125W and lower clocks. You won’t find PCIe 5.0 x4 slots, a high-end audio solution, or even 20 Gbps Type-C ports at this bargain basement price, but you can run the latest and greatest processors for the platform and DDR5 memory.

Performance-wise, The B760M PG Riptide is all over the map, as it follows Intel’s specifications. You get a full 255W for the processor, and then it ramps down off the turbo boost, limiting it to 125W. For a motherboard of this class, that’s to be expected, especially due to the paltry VRMs powering the processor. It competes with high-end boards in single-threaded applications or in shorter-running, heavily threaded applications. Gaming performance was above average, and Intel’s limits aren’t getting in the way of gaming. If you plan to drop in a high-end processor and utilize all the cores and threads, you’ll find a ceiling on performance compared to other boards that bypass Intel’s specs. 

Below, we’ll dig into the details of the board and see if the PG Riptide finds its way onto our Best Motherboards list. Before we get into our testing and board details, though, we’ll start by listing the specifications from ASRock.

Specifications: ASRock B760M PG Riptide

Swipe to scroll horizontally
SocketLGA1700
ChipsetB760
Form FactorMicro ATX
Voltage Regulator16 Phase (12x 50A VRMs for Vcore)
Video Ports(1) HDMI (v2.1)
 (1) DisplayPort (v1.4)
USB Ports(1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (10 Gbps), Type-C
 (3) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
 (4) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)
Network Jacks(1) 2.5 GbE
Audio Jacks(3) Analog
Legacy Ports/Jacks(1) PS/2
Other Ports/Jack
PCIe x16(1) v4.0 (x16)
PCIe x8
PCIe x4
PCIe x1(1) v4.0 (x1)
CrossFire/SLI
DIMM Slots(4) DDR5 7200+(OC)*, 192GB Capacity
 *1DPC 1R Up to 7200+ MHz (OC), 4800 MHz Natively.
 1DPC 2R Up to 6000+ MHz (OC), 4400 MHz Natively.
 2DPC 1R Up to 5600+ MHz (OC), 4000 MHz Natively.
 2DPC 2R Up to 4800+ MHz (OC), 3600 MHz Natively.
M.2 Sockets(2) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 80mm)
SATA Ports(4) SATA3 6 Gbps (Supports RAID 0/1/5/10)
USB Headers(1) USB v3.2 Gen 1, Type-C (5 Gbps)
 (1) USB v3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
 (1) USB v2.0 (480 Mbps)
Fan/Pump Headers(5) 4-Pin (CPU, CPU/Water Pump, Chassis/water pump)
RGB Headers(3) aRGB (3-pin)
 (1) RGB (4-pin)
Diagnostics Panel(1) Post Status Checker (4 LEDs)
Internal Button/Switch
SATA Controllers
Ethernet Controller(s)(1) Realtek Dragon RTL8125BG (2.5 GbE)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
USB ControllersASMedia ASM1074
HD Audio CodecRealtek ALC897
DDL/DTS✗ / ✗
Warranty3 Years

Inside the Box of the ASRock B760M PG Riptide

Inside the retail box, above the motherboard, is a small handful of accessories. ASRock includes a manual, postcard, two SATA cables, screws for the M.2 sockets(2), and a case sticker. There isn’t much here, though the basics are covered.

Design of the B760M PG Riptide

The B760M PG Riptide comes with a matte-black PCB with black slots, sockets, and heatsinks. The only color is a blue/purple strip with some branding on the left VRM heatsink. The board and heatsink have some lines stenciled on, but it's tough to see the design as they are barely lighter than the board itself. If you’re looking for RGB lighting, the Riptide has you covered with two zones with three LEDs each on the right edge, at the top and bottom. The RGBs are bright and the color is saturated, which makes for a nice glow from below the board, lighting up the inside of your chassis. Overall, it’s a good-looking motherboard for the price, but certainly not a showpiece.

(Image credit: ASRock)

In the upper left corner of our budget board, the first thing we see is the 8-pin (required) and 4-pin (optional) EPS connections to power the processor. Next, we get a closer look at the VRM heatsinks. The left heatsink is the larger of the two, reaching out over the rear IO area and covering some of those unsightly Rear IO bits. On top, the Riptide PG Series branding, in that deep blue/purple color, matches the PCB’s design/patterns.

Moving past the socket area, we find four DRAM slots with locking mechanisms on both sides. ASRock lists support up to DDR5-7200, but as always, your mileage may vary depending on the kit used. Your best chance of success in these fast kits is to stick with the QVL list.

Just past the DRAM slots in the upper-right corner are the first two (of four) 4-pin fan/pump headers. Each header supports PWM and DC-controlled devices. The CPU fan (CPU_FAN1) supports up to 1A/12W and the rest of the headers support 2A/24W. I’d like to see another fan header or two, but you can piggyback a couple of fans on the headers. Just be sure not to overload them as it could damage your board.

Next, we run into two (of four) RGB headers. In this case, there are two 3-pin ARGB headers with an additional ARGB header and a single 4-pin RGB header along the bottom edge. The Polychrome application controls the RGBs and worked well in our limited use syncing with the other products.

Continuing down the right edge, we run into the 24-pin ATX connector to power the board, a front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) connector, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C header for the front panel.

(Image credit: Tom's Harware)

Power delivery on our PG Riptide is configured as 14 total phases, with 12 dedicated to Vcore, just like the PG Sonic we recently reviewed (and its twin, the Steel Legend). Power comes from the 8-pin EPS connector and heads down to the Richtek RT3628AE 9-channel PWM controller. Next are the 12 VRMs dedicated to Vcore set up using a Teamed configuration. The VRMs don’t utilize the newer MOSFETs that combine Hi and Low sides, so each phase has two ICs. There isn’t a lot of power available, but it handled our Intel Core i9-13900K following the Intel specs. Not sure I’d let the system run without these limits for long, however. At least not without active cooling on the power delivery.

(Image credit: ASRock)

On the bottom of the board, on the left side, we see the Realtek ALC897 audio codec, four capacitors dedicated to audio, and a visible audio separation line designed to minimize EMI. This isn’t the newest or best audio solution. However, many those prioritizing price over fancy features should find the output sufficient.

In the middle of the board, we see a full-length PCIe slot and an open-ended x1 slot. The top primary slot uses reinforcement to protect against shearing from heavy graphics cards. This slot connects through the CPU and runs at PCIe 4.0 x16, while the bottom x1 slot sources its lanes through the chipset and runs at PCIe 4.0 x1. Just below the top slot is a Key-e M.2 socket that supports 2230 Wi-Fi/BT PCIe modules using the Intel CNVio/CNVio2 protocols. Our board doesn’t come with one, but you can purchase one separately for $25 or less and easily add it if needed.

Moving on to storage, our board has two M.2 sockets. The top socket (M2_1), under the heatsink, connects through the CPU with PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) bandwidth. The other socket (M2_2) on the right edge does not have a heatsink and runs up to the same speed. Each supports up to 80mm devices. Four SATA3 6 Gbps ports round out the storage options, with two located on the right edge and two on the bottom. If you’d like to use RAID, you can do so on the SATA ports (RAID0/1/5/10), but RAID support for the M.2 sockets isn’t listed.

Across the bottom of the board are several exposed headers. You’ll find the usual, including additional USB ports, RGB headers, and power/reset buttons. Below is a complete list from left to right.

  • Front panel audio
  • 4-pin RGB header
  • 3-pin ARGB header
  • Clear CMOS jumper
  • (2) System Fan headers
  • Speaker header
  • USB 2.0 header
  • TPM header
  • (2) SATA3 6 Gbps ports
  • System panel header

(Image credit: ASRock)

The rear IO plate on the B760M PG Riptide comes preinstalled to the motherboard, which is a nice touch at this price. It sports a black theme with white labels along with Phantom Gaming branding. There’s a total of eight USB ports scattered across the rear IO. You get one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C port, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports, and four USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) ports. For video, the PG Riptide has HDMI and DisplayPorts for those using the integrated graphics on the processor. Last up are the 2.5 GbE port, a PS/2 port for the keyboard and mouse, and three 1/8-inch outputs that comprise the audio stack.

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Joe Shields
Motherboard Reviewer

Joe Shields is a Freelance writer for Tom’s Hardware US. He reviews motherboards.

  • leclod
    I just bought an MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi DDR4 for 152USD (switzerland). A board which seems better on a few levels (Wifi, PCIe 5.0, 20Gbps and 10Gbps USB, DDR4).
    Reply
  • yinitialize
    leclod said:
    I just bought an MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi DDR4 for 152USD (switzerland). A board which seems better on a few levels (Wifi, PCIe 5.0, 20Gbps and 10Gbps USB, DDR4).
    yes, that is good board, but however that is a DDR4 board, not DDR5, this asrock riptide board is DDR5 board, ur in the wrong thread boy
    Reply